Self-sealing safety closure for medicinal tablet or toxic liquid container

ABSTRACT

A self-sealing safety closure for a container holding a liquid or tablets, which requires a degree of manual dexterity and physical coordination, plus a certain amount of finger strength to manipulate, so that it is difficult or impossible for small children to open. The container includes a body or neck portion having cylindrical or parallel sides, and a correspondingly shaped, sleeve-like closure slidably associated therewith. The slidable closure is movable between closed and open positions, and is spring-loaded toward the closed position. A discharge opening in either the stationary or slidable part is normally covered by the other part when the sleeve-like part is in closed position, and is opened when the sleeve is moved to the open position. The container opening is sealed by a resilient gasket that is compressed between the stationary and movable parts in the closed position. In one form of the invention, the closure spring is bent back upon itself, so as to reverse the direction of turn, and after approximately 360* is reversed again, leaving a separation between the coils on that side, so that the spring can be opened up in diameter sufficiently to pass over an enlarged-diameter neck portion of a bottle. The closure cap is self-closing, and cannot be inadvertently left off.

nite States Feldman SELF-SEALING SAFETY CLOSURE FOR MEDICINAL TABLET OR TOXIC LIQUID CONTAINER [76] Inventor: Marshall H. Feldman, PO. Box 922,

Twenty-nine Palms, Calif. 92227 22 Filed: Mar. 26, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 345,232

[52] US. Cl 222/514; 222/522 [51] Int. Cl. B671) 3/02 [58] Field of Search 222/514, 522, 523, 524; 267/180 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 568,503 9/1896 Thatcher 222/514 2,186,326 1/1940 Casarotti 222/5'14 X 2,463,152 3/1949 Clark 222/522 2,632,585 3/1953 Tomasek 222/514 X 3,072,297 l/1963 Lippman 222/514 X 3,228,556 1/1966 Nonestied.... 133/5 A X 3,252,634 5/1966 Scholle 222/514 3,278,176 10/1966 Abolins 267/180 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,549,292 12/1968 France 222/523 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Thomas E. Kocovsky Attorney, Agent, or FirmI-Ierbert E. Kidder [57] ABSTRACT A self-sealing safety closure for a container holding a liquid or tablets, which requires a degree of manual dexterity and physical coordination, plus a certain amount of finger strength to manipulate, so that it is difficult or impossible for small children to open. The container includes a body or neck portion having cylindrical or parallel sides, and a correspondingly shaped, sleeve-like closure slidably associated therewith. The slidable closure is movable between closed and open positions, and is spring-loaded toward the closed position. A discharge opening in either the stationary or slidable part is normally covered by the other part when the sleeve-like part is in closed position, and is opened when the sleeve is moved to the open position. The container opening is sealed by a resilient gasket that is compressed between the stationary and movable parts in the closed position. In one form of the invention, the closure spring is bent back upon itself, so as to reverse the direction of turn, and after approximately 360 is reversed again, leaving a separation between the coils on that side, so that the spring can be opened up in diameter sufficiently to pass over an enlarged-diameter neck portion of a bottle. The closure cap is self-closing, and cannot be inadvertently left off.

US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet20f2 3,915,359

e Willy/Ii! mull-Z I l I I l I I I l SELF-SEALING SAFETY CLOSURE FOR MEDICINAL TABLET OR TOXIC LIQUID CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to a safety closure for containers holding medicinal tablets or toxic liquids, which is particularly designed to make it difficult or impossible for a small child to open the same if the child should get his hands on such a container.

Each year, hundreds of small children lose their lives or are seriously injured or endangered as a result of swallowing powerful medicinal tablets or toxic liquids that they have obtained from easily opened containers carelessly left lying around. Poisoning by aspirin tablets, barbiturates and other sleeping pils, amphetamines, and powerful drugs such as digitalis, occurs with alarming frequency. Other fatalities or serious injuries result from children getting their hands on bottles of cleaning solvent, household bleach, acids, and caustics.

There have been efforts in the past to devise safety closures that could not be opened by a small child, but to the best of my knowledge, there has never been a completely satisfactory closure produced that combines safety with ease of filling the container, low cost of manufacture, compactness, and convenience of use. Moreover, all prior safety closures with which I am familiar are removable from their respective containers, and therefore can be left off inadvertently, leaving the contents of the container exposed, where they are readily accessible to small children SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the invention is to provide a new and improved safety closure for containers of medicinal tablets or toxic liquids that requires a combination of manual dexterity, coordination, and physical strength to open, beyond the capabilities of any small child. The safety closure of the invention is thus incapable of being opened by a child, yet at the same time it can be easily opened by an adult. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety closure cap that cannot be removed from its container, but remains in place on the container at all times, providing continuous and uninterrupted protection.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety closure for tablet containers, which facilitates loading of the container by a pharmacist, or by the tablet manufacturer, and which is quickly and easily assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety closure that can be used with a glass bottle of the type used to hold cleaning solvents, bleaches, acids, and caustics, so that these dangerous liquids can be kept from small children. In this connection, one feature of the invention is a unique compression spring having coils that are shaped to provide a line of separation on one side, so that the spring can be opened up in its diameter to pass over an enlarged outer endportion of the bottle neck.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a safety closure for containers, that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, compact, and convenient and easy to use.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in-the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view through a medicinal tablet container having a safety closure embodying the principles of the invention, and showing the closure in the open position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the closure in the closed position;

FIG. 3 is a partially cut-away side view of the container, turned from the position in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through another form of the invention, designed particularly for use with glass bottles holding toxic or dangerous liquids, showing the cap in the closed position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing the closure in the open position;

FIG. 6 is an exploded sectional view of another modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through the assembled container and safety closure illustrated in FIG. 6, showing the cap in the closed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the container is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10, and comprises a cylindrical housing 12, the lower end portion of which is inserted into a cup-shaped base 14. The housing 12 is closed at the top by a flat end plate 16, and adhesively attached to the underside of end plate 16 is a resilient sealing gasket 18. A discharge opening 20 is formed in one side of the housing wall near the top end thereof. In the drawings, the opening 20 is shown as a circular aperture, but it might also be made as a narrow, horizontal slot for flat tablets that are stacked one on top of the other within the container.

Slidably disposed within the interior of the housing 12 is an inner container member 22, having a sleevelike cylindrical side wall 24 and a bottom 26. The length of side wall 24 is such that when the inner member is at the bottom end of its travel, as in FIG. 1, opening 20 is uncovered by the top edge 28. When the inner member 22 is at the top end of its travel, as in FIG. 2, the top edge 28 presses against the sealing gasket 18 to form an air-tight seal.

The inner member 22 is yielding urged upwardly to the closed position of FIG. 2 by means of a compression coil spring 30, which is seated on the bottom of the base 14 bears at its upper end against the bottom 26 of member 22. Spring 30 is preferably hour-glass shaped, so that the coils can be flattened down to a compact pack, as shown in FIG. 1, when the inner member is pulled all the way down to the bottom limit position. The bottom end of spring 30 is seated within a cavity 32 formed by an upstanding circular ridge 34 molded into the bottom of base 14. The top end of spring 30 is likewise seated in a cavity 36 formed in the underside of bottom 26.

Projecting laterally from opposite sides of the side wall 24, of inner member 22, are stems 38 having buttons 40 on their outer ends that are grasped between thumb and forefinger, to pull the inner member down to the open position of FIG. 1 against the pressure of spring 30. Stems 38 pass through and are slidable lengthwise in slots 42 formed in opposite side walls 12 of the outer container. Slots 42 are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder 12, and extend upwardly from the bottom edge of member 12 for about twothirds the length of the same. To keep the side walls 12 from collapsing inwardly due to the weakening effect of slots 42, the base 14 has two longitudinally extending ribs 44 formed in the inside of the side walls in diametrically opposite sides thereof, and these ribs fit snugly into the slots 42 to fill the gap and to keep the side walls from collapsing. Ribs 44 extend up to the top of base 14, leaving the slots 42 open for the full length of travel of stems 38.

To obtain a medicinal tablet from the container 10, it is necessary for the user to hold the outer member 12 or base 14 in one hand; grasp the buttons 40 between the thumb and forefinger of the other hand; pull the buttons 40 (and inner member 22) downwardly against the pressure of spring 30; and tilt the container to empty one or more tablets out through the opening 20. The manual dexterity and digital strength required to grasp the buttons 40 and pull them downwardly against the spring pressure, together with the physical coordination needed to hold the container open while tilting it with the opening on the bottom side so that tablets can be emptied out, is beyond the capabilities of small children, and there is virtually no chance that a small child will get his hands on a lethal dose of powerful medicine while playing with the container.

FIG. 4 shows another form of the invention, which makes it adaptable for use on glass bottles or other containers of dangerous liquids, such as household bleaches, cleaning solvents, caustics, etc. In FIG. 4, the bottle is designated by the reference numeral 50, and has a neck 52,with a reduced-diameter portion 54. The outer end 55 of neck 52, above the reduceddiameter portion 54, is cylindrical and larger in diameter than the reduced portion 54, so that a downwardly facing annular shoulder is formed at 56.

Surrounding the entire bottle neck 52 and extending down to the bottom end of the reduced -diameter portion 54 is a sleeve-like cylindrical cap 58, having a top end 60 and a pouring spout 62 on one side near the top end. A resilient gasket seal 64 is adhesively attached to the underside of cap end 60, and this seats against the top end of the bottle neck 52 to make a water-tight seal. Projecting from the side of cap 58 opposite pouring spout 62 is a thumb knob 65, against which the thumb is pressed to open the closure.

Seated within a circumferential groove in the inside of cap 58 near the bottom end thereof is a split ring 66, which has sliding clearance with reduced neck portion 54, and provides footing for a compression spring 68. Spring 68 surrounds the reduced-diameter portion 54, and its top end bears against the shoulder 56. The spring exerts a yielding downward thrust against cap 58, holding the gasket 64 firmly against the end of the bottle neck pouring lip. To pour out some of the liquid in the bottle, it is necessary to push the cap 58 upwardly, away from the pouring lip, against the pressure of spring 68, using thumb pressure against knob 65. At the same time, the bottle is tilted forwardly so that the liquid can run out of spout 62. This is beyond the capabilities of any small child, since it is necessary to hold the cap outwardly against fairly strong spring pressure while the bottle is being tilted.

Spring 68 has a unique configuration that allows it to be stretched over the enlarged diameter outer end portion 55 of the bottle neck, and then close snugly around the reduced-diameter neck portion 54. In order to do this, the spring is made with a series of reverse bends and 70, that reverse the direction of the spiral, forming discontinuities in the helix that allow the spring coils to be spread slightly so as to increase their diameter slightly. Thus, as seen in FIG. 4, the coil spring 68 starts out at the bottom and makes a full 360+ circle as it spirals upwardly, and then makes a reverse turn at 70, which starts the spring back in the opposite direction, while continuing to spiral upwardly. Upon completing another full circle around the neck 54 (minus a few degrees) spring 68 makes another reverse turn at 70, which sends the spring back in the opposite direction again, while continuing to spiral upwardly. After a half circle, the spring makes a reverse turn at 70 on the opposite side of the bottle neck, and goes back around the neck in the opposite direction for slightly less than 360, at which point it makes another reverse turn at 70' and encircles the bottle neck in the opposite direction. Each pair of opposed, reverse bends 70, 70 forms a discontinuity in the helix on that side of the spring, and these two (or more) discontinuities provide points of separation that can be spread apart to open the spring by increasing the diameter thereof, so that it will pass over the enlarged neck portion 55. The normal, unstressed diameter of the spring 68 is just slightly more than the outside diameter of the reduced neck portion 54, so that once the spring has passed down over the enlarged neck portion 55, it closes together to its normal diameter. When the spring is compressed, as shown in FIG. 5, the two opposed reverse bends 70, 70' on each side of the bottle neck lie directly opposite one another, and thus the spring compresses down to a relatively short length.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, to which attention is now directed. In this form of the invention, parts that are substantially the same as their counterparts in FIGS. 4 and 5 are given the same reference numerals, with the prime suffix. Bottle 50' has a neck 52' that is of the same diameter from end to end. Formed in the neck 52 is a circumferential groove 72, which receives a keeper ring 74.

Surrounding the bottle neck 52' is a closure cap 58' having a top end 60' and pouring spout 62, with a resilient gasket seal 64' that seats against the pouring lip of the bottle neck. Cap 58 has a lower bore 76 and an upper bore 78, the latter being a close, sliding fit on the bottle neck 52', while the lower bore 76 is somewhat larger in diameter to provide for spring 68'. The spring 68' is a conventional helical compression spring, the top end of which bears against keeper ring 74, while the bottom end bears against another ring 66' that seats in a groove in the lower bore. 76 near the bottom end thereof.

The operation of this form of the invention is essentially the same as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Cap 58' is pushed upwardly against the pressure of spring 68, thereby unseating the gasket 64' from the pouring lip of the bottle neck 52 and allowing the liquid in the bottle 50' to be poured out the spout 62' when the bottle is tilted. Releasing cap 58' allows spring 68 to reseal the closure. The chief advantage of the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is that it allows the invention to be used on a uniform-diameter bottle neck, instead of a stepped bottle neck.

Although the three embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings are quite different in appearance from one another, they all have the same essential characteristics in common. In each of them, there is a first part (22 in FIGS. 1-3, 52 in FIGS. 4-5 and 52 in FIGS. 6-7) having a uniform cross-sectional shape for at least a portion of its length, and having an opening in the outer end thereof; a second part (12 in FIGS. 1-3, 58 in FIGS. 4-5, and 58 in FIGS. 6-7) surrounding said uniform portion of said first part and slidable longitudinally with respect thereto, said second part having an end portion (16, 60 and 60')that closes tightly against the opening in the first part to seal the same, and a discharge aperture (20, 62 and 62) in one side near the said end portion, which is normally covered by the side of the first part; and a spring (30, 68 and 68) resiliently urging said second part in the direction to close said end portion against said opening. In FIGS. 1-3 the first part is the movable part, and the second part is the stationary part, whereas in FIGS. 4-5 and 6-7, it is the first part that is stationary and the second that is movable.

The container and safety closure may be molded of plastic, as indicated in the drawings, or made of any other suitable material. The cylindrical body or neck could have any other shape than cylindrical, provided that the cross-sectional shape is uniform for at least a portion of its length. The spring can be on the outside of the slidable member, as in FIGS. 1-3, or on the inside thereof, as in FIG. 4.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail what I believe to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to such details, but may take various other forms within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A container and self-sealing safety closure therefor, designed to prevent children from gaining access to medicinal tablets or other dangerous material contained therein, comprising:

a bottle having a first cylindrical neck portion with an opening in the outer end thereof, and with a second cylindrical neck portion of reduced diameter below said first portion;

a cap having a cylindrical portion surrounding said first and second neck portions and extending down over a substantial portion of the latter, said cap being slidable longitudinally with respect to said bottle neck, and having an end portion that closes tightly against said opening in said bottle neck to seal the same;

said cap having a discharge aperture in one side near said end portion, which is normally covered by the side of said first cylindrical neck portion;

spring means surrounding said second cylindrical portion and bearing downwardly against said cap near the bottom end thereof, said spring means comprising a wire spring that is made with a series of spiral coil sections, each of which is separated from the next adjoining sections by reverse bends that reverse the direction of spiral each time that the coils reach substantially full circle around said second neck portion; said reverse bends forming a line of separation in one side of the spring that permits the spring to be opened up in diameter sufficiently to pass over said enlarged-diameter first neck portion and then to contract so as to fit snugly around said reduced-diameter second neck portion.

2. A container and self-sealing closure therefor, designed to prevent children from gaining access to medicinal tablets or other dangerous materials contained therein, comprising:

a cylindrical first body member that is open at one end and closed at the other;

a second body member surrounding said first body member and slidable longitudinally with respect thereto, said second body member having closed top and bottom ends, and a discharge aperture in one side near the top end;

said second body member having a resilient gasket at its top end that is closed tightly against said open end of said first body member to seal the same; and

a compression coil spring seated within the space between said closed end of said first body member and the bottom end of said second body member, and resiliently urging said first body member in the direction to cover said discharge aperture and press said open end of said first body member against said resilient gasket;

said compression coil spring having an hour-glass shape so that the coils thereof can be flattened down to a compact pack when the spring is compressed, with the smaIler-diameter coils of the midsection nested within the larger-diameter coils of the end sections; and

said first body member being manually pulled against the pressure of said spring in the direction to remove its open end from said gasket and uncover said discharge aperture, so that the contents of the container can be emptied from the container, said first body member, when released, being returned by said spring to its closed position.

3. A container and self-sealing closure therefor, as in claim 2, wherein said second body member has longitudinally extending slots formed in opposite sides thereof, and said first body member has outwardly projecting fingergrip portions passing through said slots and slidable therein, whereby the first body member can be pulled in the direction to open said discharge aperture. a: 

1. A container and self-sealing safety closure therefor, designed to prevent children from gaining access to medicinal tablets or other dangerous material contained therein, comprising: a bottle having a first cylindrical neck portion with an opening in the outer end thereof, and with a second cylindrical neck portion of reduced diameter below said first portion; a cap having a cylindrical portion surrounding said first and second neck portions and extending down over a substantial portion of the latter, said cap being slidable longitudinally with respect to said bottle neck, and having an end portion that closes tightly against said opening in said bottle neck to seal the same; said cap having a discharge aperture in one side near said end portion, which is normally covered by the side of said first cylindrical neck portion; spring means surrounding said second cylindrical portion and bearing downwardly against said cap near the bottom end thereof, said spring means comprising a wire spring that is made with a series of spiral coil sections, each of which is separated from the next adjoining sections by reverse bends that reverse the direction of spiral each time that the coils reach substantially full circle around said second neck portion; said reverse bends forming a line of separation in one side of the spring that permits the spring to be opened up in diameter sufficiently to pass over said enlarged-diameter first neck portion and then to contract so as to fit snugly around said reduced-diameter second neck portion.
 2. A container and self-sealing closure therefor, designed to prevent children from gaining access to medicinal tablets or other dangerous materials contained therein, comprising: a cylindrical first body member that is open at one end and closed at the other; a second body member surrounding said first body member and slidable longitudinally with respect thereto, said second body member having closed top and bottom ends, and a discharge aperture in one side near the top end; said second body member having a resilient gasket at its top end that is closed tightly against said open end of said first body member to seal the same; and a compression coil spring seated within the space between said closed end of said first body member and the bottom end of said second body member, and resiliently urging said first body member In the direction to cover said discharge aperture and press said open end of said first body member against said resilient gasket; said compression coil spring having an hour-glass shape so that the coils thereof can be flattened down to a compact pack when the spring is compressed, with the smaller-diameter coils of the mid-section nested within the larger-diameter coils of the end sections; and said first body member being manually pulled against the pressure of said spring in the direction to remove its open end from said gasket and uncover said discharge aperture, so that the contents of the container can be emptied from the container, said first body member, when released, being returned by said spring to its closed position.
 3. A container and self-sealing closure therefor, as in claim 2, wherein said second body member has longitudinally extending slots formed in opposite sides thereof, and said first body member has outwardly projecting fingergrip portions passing through said slots and slidable therein, whereby the first body member can be pulled in the direction to open said discharge aperture. 